Egypt's Nasser government nationalizes every newspaper and magazine in the country
President Gamal Abdel Nasser's government issued a decree on May 24, 1960 placing every newspaper and magazine in Egypt under state ownership and management, with the government appointing editors and deciding content, ending private control of the country's press.123
- Country
- Egypt (RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180)
- Where
- EG
- Level of government
- National
- Tactics
- Funding and ownership pressure, Licensing and closure of outlets
- Stage
- Silence (see the ladder)
- Head of government at the time
- Gamal Abdel Nasser
- Issue of the day
- Nasser's government was consolidating state control over Egypt's economy and institutions in the years following the 1952 revolution, and extended that control to the press as an instrument of its nationalist program.
- Outcome
- Ongoing, January 1, 1989. State ownership structures created by the 1960 decree, including the government-appointed leadership of major papers such as Al-Ahram, remained in place through the 1980s.
- Era
- The 1960s
What happened
Egypt's president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, had led the Free Officers movement that overthrew King Farouk in 1952 and increasingly used the media to advance his nationalist program. On May 24, 1960, his government issued a presidential decree nationalizing all newspapers and magazines in the country, placing them under the full management of the state, which chose their editors and set their content. Al-Ahram, Egypt's most prominent daily, became the de facto voice of the government under the nationalized system, with Nasser having already appointed the influential journalist Muhammad Hassanein Heikal as its editor in 1957. The decree ended private ownership of the Egyptian press outright, a structure of state control over the country's major papers that persisted for decades afterward, even as later governments allowed some opposition and independent titles to operate alongside the nationalized press.123
What reason was given
Nasser's government presented the nationalization as part of a broader program of state control over the economy and public life following the 1952 revolution, using the press as an instrument to advance its nationalist agenda.3
What changed for reporting
Every Egyptian newspaper and magazine came under direct state management, with the government choosing editors and defining acceptable content, ending independent ownership of the country's press.2
Timeline
1960
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Gamal Abdel Nasser | announced | President of Egypt |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Ahram | outlet | affected |
Sources
Claims cited
- A presidential decree was issued on 24 May 1960 to nationalize all newspapers and magazines in Egypt, which were submitted to the full management of the state.
a presidential decree was issued on 24 May 1960 to nationalize all newspapers and magazines in Egypt. They were all submitted to the full management of the state, which chose its editors, and defined the media content.
Egypt: History, Media Ownership Monitor Egypt (Reporters Without Borders). Claim 177, checked 2026-09-22. - Under the nationalized system the state chose newspapers' editors and defined their media content directly.
They were all submitted to the full management of the state, which chose its editors, and defined the media content.
Egypt: History, Media Ownership Monitor Egypt (Reporters Without Borders). Claim 178, checked 2026-09-22. - When President Nasser nationalized the press in 1960, Al-Ahram became the de facto voice of the government.
when Pres. Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the press in 1960, Al-Ahram became the de facto voice of the government.
Al-Ahram, Encyclopaedia Britannica. Claim 179, checked 2026-09-22.